Chandigarh: Punjab government on Thursday took a serious note of the killing of Sukha Kahlwan while in police custody and ordered transfer of two top police officials of Kapurthala and Phagwara districts.

Ashish Chaudhary has been made the new SSP of Kapurthala and Rajeshwar Singh Sidhu the new SP of Phagwara.

Yesterday, 36-year-old under-trial Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha Kahlwan was shot dead in a police van on the national highway on the outskirts of Phagwara town by some unidentified armed miscreants when he was being taken to jail after hearing in a court.

Paramjit Singh Gill, Inspector General of Police, Zone-I, Patiala examined the lapses on part of police party escorting Sukha Kahlwan, as it had failed to resist the assailants, the spokesman said.

Two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI), who were incharge of the police escort party, have been dismissed from service, he said, adding that four police officials who were members of the police party have been suspended and departmental enquiry for major penalty of dismissal has been instituted against them.

The IGP is supervising the investigations of the case.

The main assailants have been identified and police teams have been sent to nab them, the spokesman said.

Initial investigation shows that the attack on Sukha was by the members of a rival gang.

The main assailants have old police record and had absconded while out on bail/parole, he said.